


Please, give me a sign of unspoken love.

by ScarletEyes



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Established logicality, First thing person says tattooed on body, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Mute!Virgil, One Shot, Open Ending, Past Abuse, Prinxiety - Freeform, Roman knows ASL, Sort Of, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Virgil knows ASL too of course, anxious mess, friends to enemy’s to friends to lovers, just a mess in general, like these tags are xD, logicality - Freeform, might do a part two, other’s learn ASL along the way, pre-prinxiety - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-15
Updated: 2018-11-15
Packaged: 2019-08-24 01:19:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,895
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16630163
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ScarletEyes/pseuds/ScarletEyes
Summary: There is this overused soulmate AU, about having the first thing your soulmate says to you tattooed somewhere on your body since the day you were born. This AU already consists out of a lot of fics, and this definitely isn’t the first Prinxiety fic that utilizes it either. Still there was this story that needed to be told. This story about a certain Roman Prince and his classmate Virgil Days. The only two students in the entirety of Sanders High who knew sign language. The story begins on a fall day at Sanders High, located in the at the moment not so sunny Florida.Generally a happy story, but just in case:Trigger warnings: use of homophobic slang, swear words, mentions of sex (tapes), mentions of an abusive past (not in detail), mention of blood and injury.These make the story sound a lot more violent as it actually is xD





	Please, give me a sign of unspoken love.

Roman had known from a young age that his soulmate must have been the most sweet and caring person to exist, as, on his chest, right over his heart, he had the words ‘Are you okay, Ro?’ Roman wasn’t sure how his soulmate would already call him a nickname the first time they met. He also wasn’t sure why he wouldn’t be okay. He guessed it would probably be because his soulmate would be drop dead gorgeous, so beautiful that he would not be able to speak anymore, so pretty that he would be frozen in place while his face loses color as he realizes the most beautiful girl in the world has fallen for him. 

Now here was the problem... Roman had never thought about any girl that way, and he was already 18! This year would be the last chance for him to take his soulmate to prom, before he would go to college. He wanted to meet his soulmate soon. He wanted a long and happy life with them, filled with romance and maybe even kids. For that to happen he had to meet his soulmate first though.

Roman was sitting in class with his best friends Patton and Logan, who found out at the first day of school that they were soulmates, after the... locker incident... When his Spanish teacher, Ms. Torres, announced they would get a new student that day. 

It was rare to get a new student in the middle of the semester, but apparently his guardians had simply moved to this city at an unfortunate time. At least, that’s what Ms. Torres said, and who knows, maybe she didn’t know any better? Maybe that was all the information she had been given? 

Roman had been interested in his new classmate for about 5 seconds, until Ms. Torres first called them ‘him’. That was the moment Roman lost hope that the new kid could be his soulmate. Don’t get him wrong, he had nothing against gays. Hell his best friends were very gay for each other. And Roman did theatre, together with some other gay soulmate couples. However, being gay just didn’t fit in with Roman’s plan for the future, so he just assumed he was straight. The fact that he didn’t seem interested in any of the girls at his school, just made him think that his heart was waiting for the right person. The person that would ask him if he was okay, to which he would answer that he was now. 

When the new kid walked into the classroom, everyone went silent for a moment. The boy was clearly still stuck in his emo phase, with his ripped black skinny jeans and his black hoodie filled with unnecessary zippers and metal rings. His hair was hanging over his eyes and painted black, with the roots showing his natural hair color, a dark brown that could be compared with the color of antique furniture. (Really Roman? That’s the best you could come up with?) He was the epitome of ‘I don’t care’, but still there seemed to be something of unsureness in his movement. Like he could feel the eyes of every student following and criticizing his every move, which he probably could to be honest. 

He let Ms. Torres introduce him and waved to the class by placing two fingers up to his head, in a mock salute, before making a small wave motion. After the introduction he quickly took his seat. 

The class, including Roman, now knew that the new kid’s name was Virgil Days and that he for some reason was mute. He was in a normal class because he could read lips, so he could understand his peers, he just couldn’t talk to them apart from in writing. And Virgil was absolutely fine with that. He didn’t need 25 annoying teenagers asking him about his past anyways. 

“Hey Ro. Roman?” Patton whispered, when the class was allowed to start on their homework early, which also meant that they could talk to each other, to ask each other questions, as long as they did so quietly. 

“Mhm” Roman hummed in acknowledgement, while focusing on translating a sentence from Spanish back to English. 

“You know ASL right?” Patton asked. The question confused Roman. Of course he knew ASL! His two years younger sister was born deaf, so he had learned it from a very young age. Patton knew this! So why would he ask about it now? 

“Yeah, why?” He asked while underlining a word he didn’t know the meaning of, so he could search it up in a dictionary, or on his phone, later. 

“Well... If Virgil is mute... he probably has to communicate to his parents through a different way than just writing things down... that would be a freaky relationship to have with your parents. You might even say it would be quite WRITEFUL!”

Both Roman and Logan groaned at Patton’s pun, though Roman could still see the affection in Logan’s eyes. There was this special way Logan looked at Patton whenever Patton made a joke, that convinced Roman of the love between the two, and kept his hopes up, that he would feel that way too soon.

“Anyway,” Patton continued. “Maybe you can talk to him and invite him to sit with us at lunch! He probably hasn’t got any friends at this school yet. And it must be horrible to be alone at a new place!” 

I don’t know, He kinda looks like he wants to be left alone” Patton looked at Roman with his big brown Bambi eyes, trying to convince Roman to sign something towards the new student, sitting two tables away from them. “He’s just so... Extra” Roman tried, but that only got him a snort and an eyebrow raise from Logan.

“And you aren’t?” Logan said, while giving him a look that conveyed something in the lines of ‘you’d better keep Patton happy, or I’ll use my extensive knowledge of murder mysteries to kill you and make it look like you died of natural causes’, but that was just Roman’s interpretation of ‘the look (tm)’. 

When Roman saw the emo nightmare, called Virgil Days, looking their way he decided to wave to catch his attention. When he got a small and confused wave back, Roman started signing. “Hey, you speek ASL?” He signed to which the other signed back:

“No.” 

“Sorry Pat. Looks like I can’t talk to him through sign language.” Roman was very relieved. He didn’t want to be the only person in his class to be able to talk the the weird dark and brooding emo kid. 

“Aw, why not?” Patton was very disappointed. He always wanted to make sure everyone was happy, and Virgil didn’t seem to be happy to be in their class. Maybe if he had friends, he wouldn’t think it was too bad to start on a new school in November.

“I just asked him if he spoke ASL, and he said no.” Logan, who was listening in on the conversation raised an eyebrow. 

“El principe es estúpido.” Logan sighed while looking at Roman, who was very much aware that principe meant prince and his last name was Prince! 

“And why is that Logan?” Roman bit back.

“Well first of all, someone doesn’t actually speak ASL as one does not use his vocal cords to communicate in sign language . And secondly, and more importantly if you’d ask me. How would Virgil know to sign ‘no’ as an answer to your question, you asked using sign language, if he didn’t understand ASL? 

“Oh” From a view chairs away Roman could hear someone bursting into a silent laughter, mainly consisting out off pushing air out of someone’s mouth in a trembling pattern. The person the laugh was coming from? Virgil of course. Who had just seen the penny drop in Roman’s head. 

“Mr. Days? Is there something funny?” Ms. Torres suddenly said shaking up the class from their homework, well mainly from their chatting. 

Virgil’s reaction was pointing towards Roman and signing “Your face.” Towards him, which caused Roman to scoff and make some offended sounding noises. 

“Care to share with the rest of the class, what you and Virgil have been talking about, Mr. Prince?” Roman turned as red as the leather jacket that was hanging over his chair, as he didn’t want to stuff it in his way to small locker. 

“Uhm... I asked him if he spoke ASL, and he answered... nothing special ma’am.” Roman answered, which caused another soundless chuckle coming from Virgil. 

“Interesting so, you both know sign language. I’ll inform the other teachers so they can put you guys together. Signing is probably a lot easier than having to write everything down.” 

And that’s how Roman and Virgil were placed next to each other in every single class they shared, so Roman could translate for him. This also caused Virgil to actually sit with Roman, Logan and Patton during lunch to Patton’s great delight and Roman’s not so great delight. Logan didn’t really mind wether or not Virgil sat with them, but he was glad Virgil understood the world a lot better than the other two men he usually sat by. 

Logan and Patton were talking about the English class they had just had when Roman came storming towards their table. 

“I can’t fucking believe it!”

“Roman, Language!”

“Sorry dad” Roman said sarcastically. “It’s just... that... son of a bi-“ Patton looked at him sternly “-rch tree drives me mad!” 

“Who drives you mad, Roman?” 

“Virgil does! Mr. Cozart, put us together for a group project. This is like the fifth project we’ve had together since he’s joined our school!”

“That is hardly Virgil’s fault though, Roman. He can’t help it that you are the only student who understands sign language.” 

“Well I wouldn’t mind if he wasn’t so damn annoying! He never does anything to actually help with the projects so I have to basically make them all by myself!” Virgil had walked up to them and was standing behind Roman now. “And whenever I have a great idea he has the absolute courage to shut me down immediately! I couldn’t even make a musical for our history presentation! Like why would that bother him? It’s not like he has to sing or anything, because he cant!”

Patton hid his mouth behind his hand, pretending to cough, while he actually told Roman that Virgil had arrived. 

Roman abruptly stopped his storytelling and turned around. “Ah, dark and gloomy! I was wondering when you would show up. Sit down, please. Why don’t you tell us about your day.” He signed, before repeating it out loud to the others. Followed by a mumble of “Maybe I should just teach you guys sign language so I wouldn’t have to repeat everything I say.” There was a bit of venom in his voice that went easily unnoticed by Logan and the hyper enthusiastic Patton, who already couldn’t wait to learn how to understand what Virgil said without having to use pen and paper or an interpreter. 

There was one person at the table who did hear it though, and it made him shudder. All this time he had been glad that he had managed to make friends so easily and that there was someone at this school that understood him, without him having to write everything down! Now it turns out that his friends didn’t really like him at all and only sat with him because the teachers always placed Roman and Virgil together. And Virgil had been trying so hard to be nice towards Roman, after their original first conversation of course. He had tried to Roman’s ideas the way Roman saw them, but most of them were just ridiculously impossible, especially in the timeframe they had. He had just wanted to protect Roman from himself, as he didn’t want to see Roman fail... 

The other people at the cafeteria table weren’t his friends... they never would be... they didn’t even remember that he was mute not deaf, and therefore could hear everything they said about him behind his back. 

Halfway through their lunch period, Virgil signed that he was going to the bathroom. He grabbed his bag and left the cafeteria, leaving the three friends behind. He didn’t belong with them, his mind unhelpfully reminded him as he entered one of the man’s bathrooms. The tears he had been holding since he had heard Roman talk about him finally sprung free and for once he didn’t care that he was messing up the black eyeshadow under his eyes. 

It wouldn’t be the last time something like this happened. Roman would rant about Virgil when he thought Virgil couldn’t hear him. Even Logan and Patton would sometimes comment on how unpractical it was that Virgil was deaf and that they were very glad he could read lips, because otherwise it would be an even bigger struggle to communicate with him. Virgil didn’t have it in him to tell them that he heard every word they said, as from a young age he had learned that it was better to not speak out of turn or even better, to just not speak at all. 

There was a time when Virgil could speak normally, and even now, when he knew he was alone, he would sometimes make some sounds using his vocal cords, because he was scared to lose his voice forever. But he never spoke. No... he hadn’t spoken since that day and he wouldn’t! Nothing would get him to speak... not even his soulmate. Virgil wasn’t even sure if he still believed in that sort of thing anymore. Even his soulmark seemed to tell him to just forget about love, as right above his heart it said “No!” in a bold font, as if it told him that love was not for him. 

Virgil grew more and more distant from the group, and while Roman thought he would be happy to see the little deaf nuisance go, he actually started to worry when Virgil would sit alone at lunch or when he didn’t show up for a class they shared. Roman thought he would be happy that he could sit with his regular friends and make his projects with them again, but after a failed English assignment he realized that Virgil not only acted as a great impulse control for the dramatic Roman, but also did more work than Roman had given him credit for. 

Eventually Virgil disappeared from their group of friends completely. Not signing or writing anything addressed towards them anymore. He simply stayed in the back of the class and would request to do group assignments alone or with someone other than Roman, so Roman could work with whoever he wanted. It hurt Virgil a lot. Maybe even more than the reasons why he was avoiding the people, he had for a short time called his friends, in the first place. 

In April, only a month before their finals would begin and they would be done with high school, Roman figured out that he didn’t not like girls, because his heart was reserved for his soulmate, but because he was just as gay as his best friends. Who, if they were honest, could see it coming from a mile away. They had however promised him not to tell anyone, since high school would be over in a few months anyway and Roman could just make a fresh start at college, where people were generally more open minded. He knew the trouble Logan and Patton had gone through when they came out, and if it weren’t for the fact that they literally couldn’t do anything about it since they were soulmates, they would probably still get bullied because of it.

Not telling everyone turned into telling one person for Patton, as he had been learning sign language so he could actually talk to Virgil, and it had caused the two to grow a little closer again. Not that Roman and Logan knew about it, though. 

Patton usually didn’t tell other’s secrets to other people, but he was worried that some people had overheard them talking and he had this uneasy feeling something was about to go wrong and the only person he could talk to without risking someone listening in, was Virgil. Virgil wasn’t really sure what to do with the new information, but he promised Patton he would keep an eye out for suspicious behavior and that he would try to listen in on some known bullies who sat in front of him in his English class. Patton thanked him and was about to walk away when suddenly he stopped in his tracks and turned as white as a sheet. 

“Listening?” He said out loud. Patton knew his ASL wasn’t that good yet, but he was sure Virgil had just signed ‘listening’. How could his dark strange friend listen to anything if he was...

“I’m mute, not deaf.” Virgil signed reluctantly and suddenly Patton understood why Virgil had crawled back into his shell. All the nasty things Roman had said about him... all the times they had hidden their mouths to say something to the others without Virgil noticing it... all those times they had complained about Virgil not being able to communicate normally... Virgil had heard it all. 

“I’m so sorry!” Patton said, hugging his friend as close to him as possible “I’msorryI’msorryI’msorry!” Virgil would say that it was okay, and that Patton wasn’t the reason he had distanced himself, but his arms were held by his sides, by Patton’s deceptively strong arms and it didn’t seem like Patton was going to let go for a while. He almost said it. He almost said ‘It’s alright’ out loud, but then the bell rang and Patton let go of him. “See you later!” He said, enthusiastic as ever, before disappearing into the crowd of students. Virgil should probably go to his next class too...

As Virgil was walking the halls he suddenly he heard someone falling against a row of lockers, the impact was so loud that there was no doubt the person was pushed into them. Normally Virgil would avoid confrontation and run away from these kind of noises as soon as possible, and he was about to when.

“Hey fag, look where you’re going!”

“No Ted it’s only the friend of the fags.” For a second it sounded like the second person, who Virgil believed was called Luke, was sticking up for their victim, but he wasn’t. “Hah we can’t hurt them, but we can hurt you. It’s not like you have a soulmate who would stand up for you or something.” 

“Didn’t you hear? Those fags have turned him, he’s one of them now!” Did those idiots really think that being gay was like being a vampire? Virgil wished it was! Then he could bite them and turn them into the thing they seemed to hate for no apparent reason. 

Virgil had gotten closer and could now see that he was right when he expected the victim to be Roman. He could see Roman just standing there, clutching his right arm, which had probably hit the lockers. There was also a thin line of blood dribbling from Roman’s eyebrow, that made Virgil sick from just looking at it.

“I heard that they’re gonna try to be in a relationship with all three of them. Can you imagine?!” The third person, Harry, spoke up. Virgil knew this was a lie, because otherwise Patton would have told him about this. He should probably get Patton before things get out of hand. The insults were bad, but the fact that Roman hadn’t said anything yet, made Virgil’s stomach turn. 

“Hah, they are probably going to film some sort of gay sex tape together!” Okay now they had gone too far! Virgil couldn’t wait for Patton to come and calm the situation down he had to do something now! 

Virgil coughed, catching the attention of the bullies and Roman. He was hidden around the corner, so he couldn’t see them and more importantly they couldn’t see him. Then he did something he hadn’t done in years. With a voice, rough from disuse, Virgil spoke to the bullies.

“You’d better let” cough “the poor man” cough “go, or l’ll leak your sex tape Mr. Ice” Virgil’s coughing made him sound less menacing than he would have liked, but the lack of a snarky response made him believe he had hit a nerve. 

“Oh yeah?”

“Oh yeah!” Cough. Virgil could already feel the strain on his barely used vocal cords. 

“Yeah right! It’s not like Ted actually has that kind of thing!” Luke called back. A lack of confirmation told Virgil all he needed to know. 

“Really, I would ask Ted and Harry what they’ve been up to lately if I were you. Oh and” cough, well at least this cough was nicely timed, to create some suspense. “Ted? Don’t you have a soulmate? I wonder what she’ll think about this information?” 

“Okay you’ve had your fun, but I’ve had enough!” Ted hissed loud enough that it could have alerted a teacher, but unfortunately that didn’t seem to be the case. Virgil quickly ducked into his classroom as he heard footsteps approaching. He could only hope he had given Roman enough time to escape the bullies. The things he did to keep Patton and friends happy. And okay, maybe he did it to actually help Roman as well. As Roman had never been a dick towards him, when he knew Virgil would understand what he said. For a split second Virgil even wondered if Roman had actually spoken in English with him at all, or if everything he had heard Roman say was directed to others. So sure, Roman was kind of an asshole, but at least he had been civil in his conversations with Virgil.

Virgil kept coughing during his class as his throat felt very odd, after finally talking. How long had he kept his mouth shut now? 6 years? He had been twelve when everything happened. When he promised HIM he would never speak to anyone about what had happened. After everything HE had done, the manipulation, the pain, the blood. HE had learned Virgil to never speak out of turn, but also that it never was Virgil’s time to speak and so, Virgil never spoke. Until today. And it had felt so good to speak. To finally stand up for himself, well not for himself but for Roman. Shit wasn’t Roman supposed to be in this class? It was already almost time for the lunch break! Maybe Roman needed some time to patch himself up. Maybe he’s gone to the nurse to get a bandaid for his head? Virgil pushed the thoughts aside as he impatiently waited for the bell to ring. 

At lunch he did something he hadn’t done in a while. That would be the second time today, a sarcastic voice in his head told him, as he was trying to forget he had actually talked today. He shouldn’t be this worried about it. Nothing had happened to him! Everything was fine. He sat down at the table with Logan and Patton, the latter choking on his sandwich from happiness, after seeing Virgil at their table again. Roman was still nowhere to be seen. 

“Have you guys seen the Royal Annoyance today?” He signed as calmly as he could, hoping Roman’s friends could ease his nerves. 

“He texted the group chat earlier saying that he wouldn’t be here for lunch, didn’t say why though.” 

“K” Virgil signed, before another cough rocked his body. Really? He hadn’t been making enough noise today... Also apparently they had a group chat and even when he was still hanging out with them he hadn’t been added... great... that didn’t stung or anything. 

“Are you okay Virgil? I’ve never heard you cough that loudly before.” Virgil shrunk into himself after Logan’s comment. 

“Don’t speak out of turn, don’t speak at all, don’t make a single sound” HIS words ran through Virgil’s brain like the wildebeest ran in the Lion King before they stamped all over Mufasa and killed him right before the eyes of his son! Okay, Virgil’s mind was really going in some dark places right now. 

“I’m sorry, did I say something wrong?” Logan asked after he saw Virgil go pale the moment he had mentioned Virgil being loud. 

“GTG” Virgil signed the letters with trembling hands, before standing up and running towards one of the hallways connected to the cafeteria. 

“GTG? What does that even mean?”

“Got to go.” Patton tried to explain to his oblivious soulmate

“Wait Patton where are you going? Ohh... I get it now.” Patton giggled at Logan’s revelation and hugged his arm while putting his head on his boyfriends shoulder. He loved these moments where it was just him and Logan and where the rest of the world didn’t seem to matter that much anymore, but somewhere in the back of his mind he couldn’t help but worry for both Virgil and Roman. Something had happened between the two of them today... he just didn’t know what yet. 

Roman didn’t know how long he had been sitting in the dirty bathroom stall. He had heard the bell a couple of times, and he could easily check his phone to see what class he was supposed to be in right now, but it wouldn’t make him leave the bathroom anyway, so he might as well just sit in a dirty stall contemplating his life’s choices. If Ted and his buddies knew he was gay, than the whole school would know it by prom. Roman had actually looking forward to his last prom, but now he knew he shouldn’t go. At least not without an equally gay soulmate. If it was fate nobody could hurt you over your sexuality, if it was choice... all hell would break lose. Roman just had to survive until finals were over and then he wouldn’t have to see anyone of this school ever again! Well except for the people he would still want to see of course! Like Patton and Logan and... Vir... okay maybe not Virgil as he had been ignoring him for a while now. Like seriously what was up with that? Had he said something rude to him or something? 

Another thought came to Roman’s mind. Who had saved him? Who didn’t care that he was gay, without a soulmate and had managed to distract the bullies so Roman could run away and hide. Something he’d normally never do, but there were three of them and only one of Roman! Roman could only hope the other person was alright, whoever he was. His voice didn’t sound familiar. 

Roman started humming ‘Cell Block Tango’ while his thoughts were slowly getting darker, thinking about the month ahead of him. He didn’t even hear someone else enter the bathroom. That other person being Virgil. Who, upon hearing Roman murmuring some song lyrics, realized that Roman had probably been hiding in this bathroom since his confrontation with Ted, started signing to ask Roman if he was okay... only realizing when he had reached the word ‘okay’ that there was a door blocking Roman’s sight, so he couldn’t read what the other was saying. Virgil could write a note and pass it under the 2 inch gap underneath the door or... what the hell he had already talked today anyway and he needed to know how Roman was doing. Virgil cleared his sore throat and Roman was about to apologize for occupying the stall for way over an hour by now, when a rough voice asked him a question.

“Are you okay, Ro?” The person on the other side of the door asked. Roman recognized the voice as that of the stranger that had helped him earlier. He contemplated his choices he could say yes and this person would be satisfied and leave him alone or. 

“No!” Something in Roman broke as he finally let the tears he’d been holding in fall on his cheeks. He was popular, well kind of. He had everything he would want, except for a soulmate, but that’s not the point. And now just before high school was over these bullies dared to take it all away from him and make him feel miserable and... why was his chest tingling? 

The moment the tingling started, Virgil realized that the ‘no’ on his chest had never been a rejection, or the horrified scream of his soulmate upon finding out they were linked together by faith. Virgil also realized that apparently sign language didn’t count as first words. Had Roman really never talked to him before? They had spent so much time together working on forced shared projects and... OH GOD ROMAN WAS HIS SOULMATE!!! Virgil made a strained squeaking sound before quickly hiding himself in the second bathroom stall, before Roman could figure out what was happening.

Roman’s emotions were all over the place and for a second after feeling the tingling sensation, he wondered if he was having a heart attack, but that would probably hurt and this didn’t. What else could be happening at the place of his heart... OH GOD HIS SAVIOR WAS HIS SOULMATE!!! How romantic was that?! Roman heard the other make some strange noice before he heard a door close and be locked. 

“Are you?” Roman had to ask. Virgil nodded as an answer, but realized again that Roman couldn’t see that. He really didn’t want to speak again. Never again! Speaking only caused trouble! Virgil would just sit in this stall until Roman would lose his patience and leave! Ugh who was he kidding? It was Roman! Hopeless romantic, Roman. He would never leave knowing his true love was hiding in a bathroom. But Virgil couldn’t be Roman’s true love! Roman didn’t even like him! How could anyone like him?! Well anyone but Patton that is, but it’s really hard to be disliked by Patton. The door to the stall next to Virgil opened. 

Roman had asked his soulmate multiple questions, but after not receiving any answers for over 10 minutes, Roman started to worry. He wanted to know if his true love was doing okay. And if the door wasn’t clearly locked, he would also start to wonder if his soulmate even existed at all and think that he had made all of it up. But he knew his soulmate was right there! Just out of reach. 

Roman was at a loss for what to do, so he texted Patton, who soon arrived with Logan in tow. After explaining the situation to them and getting some feedback on what to do. All of which Virgil could hear by the way. It’s just like they thought he was deaf all over again. The bell rang and Roman and Patton really had to get to their next class, luckily for Roman, Logan had a free period and offered to stay. Something highly out of character for the stoic man, who usually believed it was best to let people sort their own problems out and not get involved in it himself.

“Roman is gone now. You are free to leave. Although if what Roman says is true and you are soulmates, than I would highly recommend talking about it with him. As if you don’t and you wait until after high school their’s a high chance that you both go your separate ways and have to live without a soulmate.” That hurt Virgil more than he thought it would. Not the whole living without a soulmate part, he could do that. But the fact that it would mean Roman would have to live his life without a soulmate too... that would break Roman’s heart. 

Virgil stayed in his stall, knowing that Logan was still there. He definitely didn’t feel the need to ask Logan to lie for him and he also didn’t want Logan to tell Roman. If anyone would tell him, Virgil would do it himself! Someday... maybe... Virgil could hear Logan sigh at the lack of reaction he had gotten. 

“Now, I don’t usually pry into people’s personal lives but. Would you mind if I recite my view of the situation out loud to you? It might give you a new perspective on things.” After not getting a response once more, Logan decided to add to his question. “You can knock on the stall door to let me know your answer, if you don’t want me to hear your voice. One knock is yes, two knocks is no.” Roman’s soulmate knocked on the stall door two times to show that he wouldn’t mind listening to what Logan had to say. 

“You felt the need to protect Roman from Bullies and after not seeing him in the cafeteria you found him in a similar position you are in right now. During your confrontation with Ted and his group of single brain-celled idiots who follow him blindly” a soundless laugh could be heard from inside the stall, only confirming Logan’s suspicion further. “You remained out of sight, while you spoke to them from around the corner. However your words were not aimed towards Roman, therefore even if they were the first words Roman has heard you say, they were not equivalent to his soulmark.”

Virgil started to wonder what Logan’s point was here. He knew all this.

“Neither were all the things you might have heard Roman say before.” Logan continued. This sat off an odd feeling inside of Virgil’s stomach, but he pushed it down. Why would he get nervous over some common facts. “You were probably standing near the history classroom, so I’m guessing that’s where you ducked into when you disappeared. Since you were not send out of that class by the teacher, I would assume you share history with Roman. Am I correct so far?” Virgil knocked on the door once, before another cough rocked his body. Logan really was too smart for this! If he continued this train of thought he would figure it out in no time! Unless he already had of course. 

“Still, even if you share classes with Roman, he just told us that he had never heard your voice before, which makes me assume that you are one of the quieter people in that class, but everyone had to give a presentation earlier this academic year, so everyone in that class has spoken up at least once... except for one person.” Virgil could feel his stomach drop. “Someone who has been coughing since before lunch, from using their vocal cords after long periods of disuse, and who hasn’t spoken to Roman except through sign language. Am I correct to assume that you, Roman’s soulmate, are Virgil Days? It was silent for a while before a voice, that slowly started to get used to being heard again spoke up. 

“You make it sound like a professor Layton game, or a game of clue or something.” Virgil chuckled nervously, before unlocking the door. “Congratulations, it’s Virgil Days in the hallway with his too big mouth.” He opened the door and sheepishly looked at Roman. “So what now?” He signed, now that Logan could actually see his hands. 

“That’s up to you. Like I said before, I don’t like to pry in people’s personal lives.” Virgil looked at Logan like he was lost in a huge maze that covered 20 soccer fields. “Whatever you decide to do. I will not tell Roman about this, unless you want me to. But you do have to understand, that ditching him now, will mean that you not only break his heart, but also your own. I’ve learned that little fact about soulmates the hard way.” 

“Thnx” Virgil signed, before leaving the bathroom, leaving a grumbling Logan behind.

“Is it really that difficult to sign ‘thanks? Instead of using text language? It’s probably even easier to just sign the regular word...” 

The door closes behind Virgil so he couldn’t hear Logan anymore. Of course Logan had learned sign language as well! Maybe he was the one who taught Patton in the first place. Those two really did care for him after all... but Roman... that was a different story. Maybe if Virgil could get Roman to like him, without Roman knowing they were soulmates. Maybe then Virgil could believe that this could work out. 

So that’s what Virgil did. He started hanging out with his friends again, got added to the group chat, and made his last spanish assignment with Roman. They also started to hang out after school, most of the time it was the four of them, but sometimes Patton and Logan cancelled last minute, because Logan had ‘overlooked something in his busy schedule’. Yeah right. Virgil knew what he was doing, but he didn’t mind it as much as he thought he would. Finals came and went and before they knew it, it was time for their last... and Virgil’s first prom. 

The thing is... Roman hadn’t told the others that the bullying hadn’t stopped and without his secret angel to stop them, Roman had grown quite scared from the bullies. So scared that he canceled going to prom with his friends to sit on his couch eating ice cream while watching Cinderella. He was scared for what would happen if he showed up to prom without a soulmate. Ted had made many threats and Roman wasn’t so fond of seeing those threats become reality so here he sat waiting for his pizza to arrive when his doorbell rang. Wow that was fast! He ordered like five minutes ago. Roman opened the door only to see Virgil in his prom outfit standing there with his arms folded over his chest and an angry, but determined look on his face. Then he started signing, it was so fast that even Roman had trouble keeping up with it. And he had known sign language for longer than Virgil did. 

“Roman! I’m not letting some lying snake, who says that you’re not worth anything if you’re gay without a soulmate to prove it, while he had obviously fucked Harry, but that’s not the point, keep my best friend from going to his last prom, something he has been looking forward to since before I even knew him! So get in your suit and let’s go! Pat and Lo are already there.” 

Roman started to sign back but Virgil put his hands over Roman’s, stopping him. He let go and signed 

“No signing, please. Just talk to me. I’m not deaf you know.” 

“Oh.” Suddenly Virgil’s disappearance made sense and it made Roman feel bad about all the things he had said before. “I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean it I just wanted to vent and I thought you were deaf and I know that’s no excuse! It’s a horrible excuse actually. But you were mute and I... I...” Roman paused to look at Virgil standing in front of his door, looking rather good in his prom outfit. He had probably came out here because Patton wanted to fetch Roman and Virgil had not wanted to ruin Patton and Logan’s date.

“Sort of.” Virgil signed back. 

“Sort of what?” What had Roman said, that would get this reaction from Virgil? But Virgil remained as silent as ever and his hands were shaking too much for him to sign anything. “Virgil. Just go to prom! Have fun! Don’t worry about me, I’m not worth anyone’s worry anyway. Just tell Patton that I’m fine” With that Roman closes the door. Leaving Virgil in the warm Florida evening. This just wouldn’t do! Now Roman felt even worse about himself than before. 

Virgil stood there for ten minutes, not sure of what to do, when the pizza delivery guy arrived. Virgil silently paid for the pizza before ringing the bell again. 

“Pizza for Roman?” It wasn’t the first sentence Virgil had prepared to speak with his strengthened vocal cords, but Roman wasn’t going to open the door for Virgil anymore. 

Roman could have sworn he just heard his soulmate through the door! His voice was a lot less rough than it had been, but in general it sounded the same. Maybe he had a sore throat the day he saved Roman? Unbelievable his soulmate was a pizza delivery person! Wow. Maybe his night wouldn’t be ruined! He opened the door to see Virgil standing with the pizza. 

“You payed for the pizza and let the delivery guy get away?” He asked like Virgil had just betrayed him in the worst way possible. Virgil simply chuckled in response, an actual chuckle this time, not just some air being pushed through his nose. He knew exactly what Roman was thinking. 

“Yup.” He said popping the p triumphantly.

“Well great now...” Virgil could see the gears in Roman’s head turning and it reminded him of that first day in Spanish class. “Virgil? You can talk?” This was too good of an opportunity to let go and so Virgil gave him the same answer he had when Roman had asked him if he knew ASL, just this time, he didn’t use sign language. 

“No.”


End file.
